Valve for street-sprinklers.



F. A. STIERS.

vALvE FOR STREET SFRINKLERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 28,1914.

1,156,326. f 'Patented 0@t.12,'1915.

paran as ra 1 FRANK A. STIERS, OF ST.` LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF WALSH, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

T0 PHILIP 'E'.

VALVE Fon STREET-SPRINKLERS.

Specicatin of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FRANK A. STIERS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves for Street-Sprinklers, of which the following'is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a lo part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in valves, especially designed for use in con' nection with street sprinklers of the gravity feed type, wherein it is essential that the valve as a whole offers a minimum of 0bstructive resistance to the flow of Water, and it is the primary object of my inventlon to construct a valve casing provided with a lateral casing extension which will receive the valve proper and permit it to occupy a position whenopen, wholly out of the path of the stream of water.

A further object of my invention is to provide a casing for a valve, which tapers from end to end and wherein there is a lateral casing extension which wholly accommodates the valve proper in a position wherein the face of the valve proper itself forms a tapering wall section complementary to the 'diametrically opposite wall sec# tion of the casing.

The foregoing and other objects will be made more clear in the speciication, pointed' out in my claims, and illustrated in the ac- {companying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows in elevation the valve of my invention with the screw cap removed; Fig. 2 shows a sectional elevation of the valve in a full open position; Fig. 3 is a 0 lsectional plan taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan of the valve proper and its supporting arm removed from the casing; and Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the valve seat.

Referring now to the drawings, the numeral 6 designates the tapering body portion of the valve casing, and formed integral y with this tapering body is a lateral casing extension 7, the Vopen end of which is internally threaded to receive a screw-'cap 8.

Between and outside the bodies of the casing proper and its lateral extension is an integral bearing 9 in which a shaft 10 is located. A portion 11 of the shaft is formed SE {non-circular vin cross-section, and on this non-circular portion there is carried anarm l2 which is arranged to swing on the shaft 10 .to positions diametricallyrelative to the casmg proper and its lateral extension.

Carried at the free end of the arm 12 and secured thereto by a screw' 13` is an elliptical plate or head 14, on the face of which is a gasket 15, which may be secured to the head in any desired manner, but preferably by a washer into which the screw 18 seats.

The plate or head preferably has a slight wabbling motion relative to the arm, so that 1t may conform automatically to the valve seat, and this result is attained by forming the screw hole -16 through the arm 12, slightly larger than the screw.

The arm 12 is secured against longitudinal movement relative to the shaft 10 by means of a set screw 17, and hence the arm serves to hold the shaft against axial movement relative to its bearing.

In order to prevent the plate or head 14 from rotating on the screw 13, I provide the pins l'lSwhich project from `the face of the head 14 and engage on either side of the arm 12.

19 designates the valve seat in the form of an abutment, on the inside of the casing, having the plane of its face oblique to the axis of the casing, as shown in Fig. 2, and by preferencethis valve seat is in the form of a tube separate and distinct from the casing.

The discharge end ofL the casing is internally threaded to receive a union 20, v

threaded b'oth externally and internally, its external threads forming a connection with the casing and the interior threads serving to connect the tubular valve seat with the pipe, or, asused in a sprinkler, the sprinkler head, 21. By this threaded connection an axial adjustment of the valve seat may be effected, and this form of connections oders .a substantial holding for the valve seat.

22 designates a set screw extended through the valve casing, and impinging the valve seat to prevent its rotation, for it is obvious the seat it is essentialthat it be held against rotation, otherwise the valve proper would not aline therewith when brought to a closed position.

The inlet end of the casing is internally threaded to provide a connection with a pipe 22', which leads to a source of water supply (the sprinkler tank) not shown. Itis 'that due to the angularity ofthe face of to be noted this threaded end of the casing. just referred jto is of greater diameter than the body of the casing, so that when a pipe is fitted thereon the inside face of the pipe will be Hush with the inside face of the casing, so that there will be no oset to check the flow of the water.

lt is obvious too that the angularity of the valve seat reduces the movement of the valve from a full closed to a full open position, hence the valve operates in a minimum of time.

A feature of prime importance 1s the taper of the valve casing, which construction acts on the water passing through the valve in a manner common to a nozzle, so that the water at the discharge end of the casing has greater force than the Water entering` the casing.

rlhe mounting for the valve proper holds it when in a full open position with its face at an oblique angle to the axis of the casing, so that the valve itself forms an inclined surface complementary to the inner surface of the casing.

By arranging the valve in a casing that tapers toward the valve seat, and is provided with a. lateral extension of such shape that when the valve is fully lifted from its seat the opening to such extension is practically closed thereby, the face of the valve then becoming in ed'ect part of the wall of the conduit Aof which the valve casing is a part, ll secure several decided advantages of operation. The tapering casing insures a constant and increasing fluid pressure toward the sprinkler head, while its shape and the arrangement of the valve therein, as described, oers practically no obstruction to the forward flow of the water and does not interfere therewith by reason of there being pockets in the casing in which eddies are formed that interfere with the flow. Furthermore, the arrangement of the valve upon an inclined valve seat that is in the vlower part of the tapering casing makes the manipulation of the valve comparatively easy, even lwhen the head of water is considerable, because the moment the valve is lifted, even to the slightest degree, it begins to quite rapidly open a space between its edge and the side walls of the casing, the, space constantly and rapidly increasingl as the valve is moved toward its open position within the lateral extension, due to the tapering walls of the casing. llt will be seen that the valve seat is formed by the beveled or inclined edge of a sleeve that is secured to the valve casing and also to the next following section of the conduit, and that its inclined edge constituting' lthe valve seat lies in immediate proximity all around to the wall ofthe casing; there message being no pockets 'or enlargements of the casing opposite the seat, as has heretofore 6 5 been customary in order to permit the move-1 ments of the valve, which pockets or enlargements cause eddies that are disturbing elements in the flow of the water.A The arrangement of the valve seat in' 'immediate proximity to the Walls of the casing'also insures that the water has a scouring action upon the edge of the sleeve that constitutes the valve seat keeping it clean, so that the valve at all times sets tightly thereto.

'lhe parts of the valve are rendered easily accessible by removing the screw cap 8, so that if it becomes necessary to'take out the valve this may be easily accomplished by removing the cap, removing the screw 17, withdrawing the valve stem 10 from its bearing, and then taking out the valve and its associated parts through the opening left by removing the cap 8.

l am aware that certain structural changes may be made from 'the valve shown, and hence de not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact structure shown, but

What l do claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent of the United States therefon-is:

l, A valve casing adapted for use in the supply pipe of a street sprinkler, consisting of a tapering pipe section adapted to constitute a part of the said supply pipe, the said pipe section being formed with a lateral extension, a swing valve for closing the said supply pipe, and a. mounting for the valve arranged to maintain the latter when open I in a position within the said lateral eXtension of the valve casing and with its face presenting a surface substantially flush with the inner surface of the casing and complementary to the opposing inclined surface thereof.

2. A valve casing adapted for use in the supply pipe for a street sprinkler head, con- FRANK A. S'llERS.

Witnesses lE. lL. WALLACE, R. G. (lewis. 

